Inside Track

The results of Allegra Foodservice’s Top of Mind survey of senior industry executives has revealed the key challenges for the eating and drinking out sector in 2015, from ensuring breakfast opportunities are maximised to meeting the increasing demands of customers. Simon Stenning, executive director of Allegra Foodservice, reveals some of the key findings from the research.

When an unbranded pub-restaurant was at the centre of a food-poisoning outbreak in which 30 customers were taken ill, and one sadly died, the words “there but” and “for the grace of God” would have been front of mind for many pub and restaurant group CEOs, says Mark Stretton.

Fuller’s may be defined by its beers, but it is its food that is increasingly attracting customers to its pubs and spurring the company to set the pace for change in an industry that is currently shaking off the shackles of financial stagnation

Eating out is a real social experience. It’s about being with people, whether they are family, friends or colleagues - you visit a restaurant or pub to be with people you actually want or need to spend time with. The best experience delivers so much more than food. Hopefully, the food is the highpoint of the experience

Rotisseries are the future of the pub sector, according to Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge; while leading analyst Simon French suggests larger pub companies could emerge fuelled by the market rent-only option (MRO)